The intent of this thread is for users, both new and not-so-new, to ask questions, and help with tips/advice. This is not by any means the "gospel". Please feel free to add your words of wisdom, and if you have questions, just ask! If you have a tip that will make sweeping easier for folks, please feel free to share. This is a community effort. We all will benefit in some way.
The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.
Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.
Play the instant win games.
Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.
Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.
Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!
Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!
Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.
DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.
For easy form filling, check out
Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.
For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password:
http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password (thanks javaFlower!)
FireFox Form Filler browser extensions:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/...ll&cat=all
To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!
February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
9,749 Comments
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As for what you are doing wrong...you are on your own about that. And know that you are going to get flamed.
Note: Guess I just really need a boost from some SD'rs
Note: Guess I just really need a boost from some SD'rs
I have much better luck with instant and one entry contests.
Note: Guess I just really need a boost from some SD'rs
I spend a couple of hours every day entering sweepstakes and mix in some IWGs to keep me interested. When you win something, anything you feel better about the time you've invested. I haven't won any significant prize recently, but I've won a couple of bags of Hall's cough drops and some toaster strudels. Just keep entering, and often. Good luck to you.
i have been playing sweeps pretty consistantly a for a few years. i think the biggest thing i have won was a ps3 and hummer ride to the release party of call of duty modern warefare 2. and all of my other wins were way less than $100. i have personally been on a 3 month drought without winning anything besides a bag of cough drops from the Halls promo.
but its more a hobby that i do for fun more than it is about winning the most prizes. i give away most of the prizes to friends and family anyway.
so it just depends on your point of view.
Note: Guess I just really need a boost from some SD'rs
Monday I was feeling the same as you (I'm into my 5th month)...ready to post on here to ask for a boost! 1 hour later, I get an email! Can't tell until Friday (affy and all that)...so don't give up hope!!! It will happen! I also have made this my full-time job - I spend
about 8 hours a day (on and off - all day and into the night - around 2 kids schedules, etc).
This also includes twitter parties. I think I figured it out one day, that I'm entering about 250-350 a day (depending on how many single entries there are) and how many of the others I get through.
I would suggest getting roboform - it really helped me enter quicker and more accurately.
Also someone posting on here that you don't really have to do the instant wins - that
helps to save some time, too!
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Thanks,
-MJ
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If it helps you, great! If not, I hope you find some answers. I spent about a week before I realized I needed to set that up for the very reasons you are asking. It works for me. Good luck.
-MJ